There’s something special about hometown shows, especially in Portland, Oregon, an often overlooked and underrated city in the music scene. Portlanders have a lot of pride for the bands that have found success here, though, as proven by the two nights of sold out Portugal. The Man shows at the start of their “DENALI” U.S. tour. Just a handful of miles from where Portugal. The Man’s latest album was recorded, Portlanders, and those who traveled to Portland, would get to hear the first live performances of SHISH, played in full on this tour. The second night in Portland, Nov. 7, fell on the album release day. After staying up late for the album release the night before and listening to SHISH all day, I was thoroughly prepared and excited to hear the album live.

When I arrived at Revolution Hall the night of Nov. 7, I headed straight for the merch table. Earlier in the day, Portugal. The Man had posted on Instagram that they had a limited number of Portland exclusive embroidered hats at the show, which read “PORTLAND THE MAN.” I was determined to snag the Portland exclusive hat before they sold out. I patiently waited in the long line that had already formed and succeeded in procuring my “PORTLAND THE MAN” hat, proudly wearing it as I made my way down to the photo pit.

I saw many familiar faces in the crowd, as is par for the course at a Portugal. The Man show. Going to a Portugal. The Man show feels like a social gathering with all of my friends in attendance. That feeling proved itself later when my phone buzzed with a text from an old friend from high school who took me to my first Portugal. The Man concert 14 years ago — he had spotted me in the crowd from up in the balcony. While waiting for Portugal. The Man to start their set, we reminisced for a bit about that show and noted how Portugal. The Man was now the band we’d both seen live the most times.

The show began with a video of a campfire on the large LCD screen on stage. A voiceover began speaking, “Alright get the fire going, that’s better.” The voiceover told a story that set the tone for the evening, letting us know the purpose of the performance to come. “When I was a wee lad, my old grandma taught me you had to maintain your connections to prevent that fire in your heart from going out…If your fire’s gone cold, well, you’re in the right place. In the farthest north even after the coldest, darkest winter, people come out to welcome the return of the sun together. And maybe that’s what we’re doing tonight.”

The crowd erupted in cheers as the band entered the stage in coordinating custom-made blue outfits, designed by vocalist John Gourley himself, with “Knik,” “DENALI,” and “SHISH” embroidered on the chest. Images of Denali glacier flashed on the LCD screen on stage as the band began playing “Denali,” the first track from SHISH. Gourley proved he hasn’t lost his rock roots as he shredded through the catchy riffs. “Pittman Ralliers,” the loud, chaotic and hardcore-spirited second track of the album, followed. David Michael Marion of Fear Before The March Of Flames and Memory Drip joined on stage, yelling into the mic with a harshness that perfectly juxtaposed the flowing cobalt blue dress he donned.

Portugal. The Man continued playing songs from SHISH in the order they appear on the album. Fans at the front of the barricade raised their voices and made sure to enunciate the “no ICE” lyrics during “Angoon,” Portugal. The Man’s fourth single from SHISH. The choice to play SHISH in order was deliberate and worked perfectly. Even though I had already listened to the album all the way through several times over, hearing it live was an experience on another level.

After “Kokhanockers,” the eighth track from SHISH, Portugal. The Man went into “act two” of their set, playing nearly a full set of songs from the rest of their discography. Eric Howk, the band’s former guitarist, joined the rest of the band on stage for this half of the set, which featured songs from their 2011 album In The Mountain In The Cloud, 2017’s Woodstock, “Modern Jesus” from 2013’s Evil Friends, “Dummy” from 2023’s Chris Black Changed My Life, their single released in 2020 “What, Me Worry?,” and “V.I.S.” from this year’s EP uLu Selects Vol #2. Finally, Portugal. The Man ended the non-SHISH part of their set with a deep cut, pulling out “Created” from their 2008 album Censored Colors before closing out the evening with the final two songs from SHISH: “Tanana” and “Father Gun.”

Whether you’ve been a fan since the early days of Waiter! You Vultures, or even Gourley’s former band, post-hardcore outfit Anatomy of a Ghost, or became a fan after the Grammy-award winning single “Feel It Still,” the “Denali” tour has something for everyone. SHISH combines elements of every iteration of Portugal. The Man — it has heavy rocker parts (a la “Waiter!,” “You Vultures,” and “Church Mouth”) as well as dance-y, vibe-y, psychedelic parts like the song that earned the band a Grammy. And the rest of the set? Well, that’s a surprise, because no two nights have been the same during act two, but it’s highly likely Portugal. The Man will play at least a few of your favorites during their 24-song set. So far, we are 50/50 on whether they’ll play “Feel It Still,” though — Portland heard the Grammy-winning song the first night, but not the second.

Opening the show for Portugal. The Man on the first half of the tour is Ya Tseen, an indigenous musical collaboration guided by Nicholas Galanin/Yeil Ya Tseen. Ya Tseen’s indie psychedelic pop vibes were the perfect precursor to Portugal. The Man’s set and, considering Portugal. The Man’s latest album pays homage to Gourley’s Alaskan upbringing, it was only fitting that he would tap a fellow Alaskan artist to open for him. Ya Tseen has two songs he has collaborated with Portugal. The Man on: “Taste On My Lips,” one of the singles from their upcoming album Stand On My Shoulders, and “Knives,” from their 2021 album Indian Yard. Prior to their performance, those were the only two songs I’d heard. I knew, however, based on Gourley’s intentional choice in supporting acts and artists he collaborates with, that I would thoroughly enjoy their set— and I did. Vocalist Galanin was accompanied by seven band members on stage, truly showcasing the collaborative effort of his work. I ended up enjoying Ya Tseen’s set so much that I purchased their new vinyl, Stand On My Shoulders, which is being sold on tour currently before its official release in January.

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